By Ginika Igboke
House Republicans on Jan. 29 announced plans to introduce a broad election reform bill that would establish nationwide requirements for voting, including photo identification and proof of citizenship.
House Administration Committee Chairman Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) said the proposed Make Elections Great Again (MEGA) Act is designed to prevent election fraud and strengthen public trust in the electoral process. The bill is expected to be introduced during the House’s pro-forma session on Jan. 30.
“Americans should be confident their elections are being run with integrity—through commonsense voter ID requirements, clean voter rolls, and citizenship verification,” Steil said in a statement. “These reforms will improve voter confidence, bolster election integrity, and make it easy to vote, but hard to cheat.”
Key Provisions of the MEGA Act
If enacted, the legislation would require voters to present photo identification when casting ballots and verify their citizenship during voter registration.
The bill would also require that mail-in ballots be received by the close of polls on Election Day and mandate the use of auditable paper ballots nationwide.
Under the proposal, it would be unlawful for an individual to distribute, request, deliver, or possess a ballot belonging to someone who is not an immediate family member or a designated caregiver. The legislation would further limit individuals to delivering no more than four mail-in ballots at a time, with exceptions for postal workers and election officials performing official duties.
Additional provisions would tighten routine voter roll maintenance, ban universal vote-by-mail systems, and prohibit states from using voting methods that allow voters to select more than one candidate or rank multiple candidates for the same office.
Democratic Opposition
Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, strongly criticized the proposal, accusing Republicans of attempting to manipulate election rules for political advantage.
“This bill is their latest attempt to block millions of Americans from exercising their right to vote,” Morelle said in a statement. “I will fight this bill at every turn.”
Support From Election Integrity Groups
The MEGA Act has received backing from several election advocacy organizations, including America’s First Policy Institute (AFPI). The group said the bill includes safeguards aimed at preventing noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections.
“As an American citizen, casting a ballot is a civic duty, a unique privilege, and a fundamental right,” said Kenneth Blackwell, AFPI’s chair of election integrity. “That right is undermined when noncitizens are allowed to vote.”
Ken Cuccinelli, national chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative, said the bill would expand access for eligible voters while closing loopholes that invite abuse.
“The legislation makes voting accessible for eligible citizens while banning ballot harvesting, ending taxpayer-funded partisan registration schemes, and requiring auditable paper ballots,” Cuccinelli said.
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